Wednesday, 27 May 2020

Recent economic changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the financial balance of power in many households. Even before that, though, a new trend was emerging. Today, more than half of American households are dual income, with the majority featuring the man as the primary breadwinner. However, the number of women outearning their male partners continues to grow. In fact, over the past five years, the number of female breadwinners has grown to four out of ten households.

This is an exciting statistic because it means women are harnessing their financial power in the workplace and taking the lead in their families in a way that hasn’t happened historically. However, it also means women are facing more pressure than ever before to perform at a high level both at work and at home. This can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, especially if both partners fail to support one another.

Let’s take a look at the pressures and the benefits associated with being a breadwinning woman:

Monday, 11 May 2020

In just two short months the world that we all knew has changed. It is likely to stay changed in many ways for many years to come. As with anything that has a dramatic impact, we try to look at ways we may grow or learn from the upset. When it comes to personal finances, investing, retirement, and our overall attitudes toward money, I wonder what impact this pandemic will have on couples, families, and individuals.

Whether you have a lot or a little, no one was left untouched by this virus and the economic toll that it has taken. This time in our history will leave an indelible mark on our emotions and the way we think about and interact with money. If you’ve just retired, you may have seen a significant drop in your retirement investments that you are counting on to last you several decades. If you’ve just graduated from college and you were on the hunt for your first career job, you may instead find yourself back at home with mom and dad. If you’re an actor or musician your prospects for the moment are nil. If you are fortunate to have a job that is stable and you are working from home you may be fully aware that the raise you were about to ask for is not likely going to happen this year.

So, what does this mean for the role of personal finance in our lives? For each of us, it may be a bit different, but I have identified five areas of finance that may be viewed through a different lens in the aftermath of Covid-19.

Thursday, 16 April 2020

One thing we all know for certain is that we are living in uncertain times.

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down and we are each feeling it in very personal ways. One shared concern among many people, however, is the financial impact this public health crisis will leave in its wake. Despite the emotional tornado we’re all living through it’s important to remember that managing our emotional reactions is one of the best ways we can contend with times of uncertainty so that we can come out the other side having made smart decisions based on more than our fears.

For many people, fear is magnified at the moment, especially where investments are concerned. We’re living in a scary time. However, we believe turbulent times call for a calm and cool approach to personal finance, reminding ourselves of the lessons learned from prior crises, and getting back to basics. Although there is much we cannot control right now, it’s a great time to refocus on the things you can.

So, if you’re feeling unsettled about money matters at the moment, channel more energy into these five areas of your personal finances:

Wednesday, 11 March 2020

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJIA) became the first major US Stock Market to reach “Bear Market” levels today (3/11/2020) by dropping over 20% from its all-time high set in mid-February. Stock markets around the world have been reacting violently to concerns related to the spread of Coronavirus along with uncertainty about the impact on the economy, unknown timing about when the crisis will end, and the serious health risk.

Our primary concern during a crisis is for the physical, emotional, and financial safety of our clients. An important part of our wealth management relationship is to be available to hear client concerns about market events like we are experiencing right now, provide a historical perspective to put the significant daily market moves into the appropriate context, while also proactively communicating what Flourish Wealth Management is doing on your behalf.

It is critical to understand that market corrections (down 10%), Bear Markets (down 20%), and economic recessions (at least two consecutive quarters of negative growth) are included in our investment and financial planning assumptions. Many of our clients have seen Monte Carlo demonstrations about how their financial plan will fare in a wide variety of circumstances, covering over 1,000 tests based on historical data, including bear markets. With a successful financial plan, the current scenario is included (although it’s a lot less painful watching the squiggly lines on a presentation screen than personally experiencing the emotional ups and downs). In addition, for clients who rely on cash flows from their portfolio to support their lifestyle, please remember that your next several years of cash needs are covered regardless of what’s happening in the Stock Market.